I Think You’re Bonkers

My extension lead died mid way through making the ramp for the chickens house. I’ve replaced the fuse and tested the drill, it’s dead. Suggestions gratefully received….

Anyway, the ramp and perch got finished and the run has started to be covered in mesh - courtesy of freecycle, and it looks like we actually have enough to finish the job.

 

House and ramp.

 

Moveable perch inside the house. Allegedly some chickens like to perch and others don’t so this perch can be taken out of they don’t like it, and for cleaning.

Just need to finish putting the mesh on the run, make a door to get in and out - for us, and get some feed for them…..  The hens should be here in about 10 days or so. Pics when they arrive, promise…

We declared a draw in the end ….

 

His is the greener one on the left - nicer shape, lovely markings and slightly lighter weight at 1.11kg. But it recovered after almost being lost to a late frost and Dino nurtured it to that size. He’s very proud. Mine is the all orange one on the right. It’s a bit bigger at 1.53kg. It had the advantage of benign neglect and a lovely sunny spot to grow in. Both will become small lanterns for Samhain and the insides will be soup or pie. 

Dino making his Cub promise - he was very serious and didn’t slip up at all. He was afraid he would but he did really well. 

 

Receiving his necker, Green woggle to denote his membership of the Green Sixer group and a whole bunch of badges for me to sew on his uniform. 

However, on the way home he announced that he wants to learn to sew and then he can put his own badges on. So, sometime this week we’ll start that with the idea that I’ll carry on doing uniform badges but his old Beavers ones can now go on his Cub Camp blanket and Dino is planning on doing those himself.

 

We’ve been working on the hutch again today which involved replacing the bolt on one door and cleaning down the other doors and frames so they shut again.

 

The silvery bolt is the one we put on. There’s an old broken one underneath it but it’s so rusted that I can’t shift the screws to get it off, and tbh I can’t be arsed.

Then we enlarged the hole into the sleeping part - which will be the nest box. (Note, we means me with an audience, and now and then a child might pass me hammer, screwdriver or whatever) 

 

And last we fixed some roof felt on the roof and put it back on. I’ve not fixed the roof down, figuring it might be handy to be able to lift it off at some point and it’ll prob need replacing properly at some point too - instead of the bodge replacement it has now….

 

That slight curved lift on the right isn’t there now, I just had to jiggle it into place and now it’s flat. Got to get the last bits for the run and make that and then we’re ready for chickens! Oh and I think a ramp so they can get in and out of the house might be good too…. 

Finished making this today. We made the frame on Sunday but the resulting blisters ensured a pause in proceedings. So today we made the lid - it just lifts off, no hinges or complication - and we put the wire mesh on. Poor piggy is hiding in the house as he’s a bit overwhelmed!

Well, mostly.

 

• Take home grown veg from the garden - you’ll need an onion, some garlic, a carrot or 2 (depending on size) and a beetroot - I put in a couple of small celery sticks and about half a courgette too.
• Cook beetroot in water until soft enough to peel the skin off and dice. Keep the water.
• Dice the veg and fry until soft in some oil - I like olive but any will do.
• Add a spoon or so of plain flour and stir in to soak up the oil.
• Add in a tin of tomatoes (not home grown but it’s what we had, you could cook some home grown toms if you felt like it I suppose) 
• Top up with water from the beetroot, and a bit more if needed (and a stock cube if you want) and any seasoning you feel might be needed, herbs etc.
• Simmer gently until all veg are soft. 
• Blitz until smooth.
• Serve with bread.

It’s a variation of the Shrek Lava Soup recipe and we liked it. I used the biggest pot I have and kept topping up the water so there was enough to freeze half too. The beetroot makes it really red and changes the flavour away from that sharp tomato that can happen. Was home made bread too.

Dino’s - 12cm tall and 48cm girth

 

Mimi’s - 26cm tall, 70cm girth

 

Mine - 16cm tall, 51cm girth (and going orange!)

Dino started Cubs last night and he has homework! He has to grow three pots of cress under different conditions and keep a diary for the week to record what happens. So we have cress seed in a box (in the dark but with water); cress in a pot (water and light) and cress in a pot (light but DO NOT water). He started his diary by stating how he started each off, what the conditions are and what his prediction is for each.

He also has to locate, identify and draw 3 constellations and find out something about them. Not going to be easy with this weather but we’ll try. 

Mimi is back at Rainbows tomorrow too.

Proof that the moon landings were faked….

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